EU ready to discuss revisions to Ukraine trade deal – Barroso

The EU says it is ready to discuss changes to its trade pact with Ukraine if Kiev asks for revisions. The statement came after Vladimir Putin sent a letter to the presidents of the European Commission and Ukraine, calling for changes to the deal.

Brussels is ready to
discuss both the implementation of the Association Agreement and
its effects on Russia, José Manuel Barroso, President of the
European Commission,toldthe Wall Street Journal in an
interview Thursday.

"If the Ukrainians, listening to Russian concerns, want to
discuss some matters with us, of course we are ready to
listen," he said.

"We still believe that only systemic adjustments of the
Association Agreement, which take into account the full range of
risks to Russian-Ukrainian economic ties and to the whole Russian
economy, will allow [us to retain] existing trade and economic
cooperation between the Russian Federation and Ukraine," the
Financial Timescited Putin as saying in the
letter.

The letter was sent to the EU and Poroshenko on September 17, a
day after both Ukraine and the EU ratified the Association
Agreement.